4/13/2009 @ 12:02PM

In Pictures: The World's Most Dangerous Waters

Contrary to what many people think, piracy has not been relegated to the history books. On the contrary, it has risen sharply in the last decade: The global arms trade has made it easy to access cheap and powerful weapons, and globalization has filled the oceans with cargo vessels. The plunder has spawned a new era of piracy that is dominated by machine-gun-toting gangs equipped with rocket-propelled grenades and other modern weapons ready to board, kill crews, steal cargo and even hijack and resell ships. Here’s where they strike most.